Alabama's close call at Auburn a positive heading into SEC title game

G.M. Andrews, Staff PhotographerAlabama running back Roy Upchurch caps a 15-play, 79-yard drive with a touchdown late in the fourth quarter against Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Nov. 27. The Tide defeated Auburn 26-21.TUSCALOOSA -- When Alabama's football team exits the tunnel Saturday afternoon at the Georgia Dome, millions will be watching and an entire season will be at stake.

But the pressure is nothing this Crimson Tide team hasn't experienced before.

Unlike last season's 12-game run and the majority of this undefeated regular season, Alabama stared down defeat in the final moments of Friday's 26-21 victory at Auburn.

Trailing by one point in the fourth quarter before a hostile crowd, the Crimson Tide produced a 15-play, 79-yard touchdown drive to take its first lead with 1:24 to play. It may go down as the most memorable performance in a season full of them.

At least that's how Alabama coach Nick Saban sees it.

"If there was an individual thing that I'm probably most proud of with the team, it was the way they finished the last game, under the circumstances and the situation on both sides of the ball," Saban said.

Quarterback Greg McElroy was 21-of-31 passing for 218 yards during a game in which he later said the Crimson Tide was "flat" and the start felt similar to last season's Sugar Bowl loss to Utah, "but I think the way we responded, obviously, was totally different."

"Did we execute well? No, we didn't," McElroy said. "But when the game was on the line and we needed to make plays? Yeah, we did. ... Everything was going wrong and we did it. What other adversity can you bring upon us? Not much."

In the process, Alabama gave Saban his first career victory at Jordan-Hare Stadium, finished two consecutive 12-0 regular seasons for the first time in program history and set up Saturday's mammoth clash with top-ranked Florida in the SEC championship game.

And despite what was roundly perceived as a noticeable slip against Auburn, the Crimson Tide insists that the experience on the Plains was a positive one for the next test.

"I said before we went there that I thought that if we beat Auburn in Auburn that would be our most significant accomplishment as a team," Saban said. "And even though I don't think we played as well as we're capable of playing, I still believe that, especially the way we did it."

So Alabama is taking comfort in knowing it proved its fourth-quarter mettle heading into the one game where that looms as an issue that the Crimson Tide has yet to overcome.

No one among Alabama's team has been allowed to forget the finish to last year's 31-20 SEC title-game defeat to the Gators. Leading 20-17 entering the final quarter, the Crimson Tide was beaten badly from that point. Florida ran 23 plays to 6 for Alabama, dominating in total yardage 130-1 in the final 15 minutes and scoring two unanswered touchdowns to advance to the BCS title game.

"I'm sure Nick Saban is beating into his football team that they got beat in the fourth quarter by a team that wanted it more last year, embarrassingly so," CBS analyst Gary Danielson said. "Florida took the game away from them."

"That's what we talk about all the time. It was a hard-fought battle. I think both teams left it on the field, but crucial mistakes down the stretch in the fourth quarter is what killed us. That's why in the fourth quarter we hold up the four fingers, because it's important to finish the game."

With such a big game on the horizon, was that lesson finally demonstrated in Friday's comeback at Auburn?

"I know it can't hurt," Saban said of the game-winning drive against the Tigers. "I just hope that everyone understands when you don't play your best and you still have success, you still have to have a willingness to learn and grow from the mistakes that you made.

"Hopefully, our team will not only gain confidence from the way they came back and won the game, but also will gain knowledge from some of the things we didn't do well in the game so we can continue to improve."